Realists and Dreamers
by AnimeXCats333
Summary: The crew, with the new addition of Chloe, lands in a seemingly normal albeit unfriendly fishing village. However, the crew's about to find that the start of a new adventure is closer than they think, when they challenge the masked man who oppresses the village. (No original characters from the series yet, still accepting OCs!)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Sing

_Silence… It's so deafening. I want to hear something… a song… But no one will sing… _

_Could I sing? My futile wish to the heavens, for the past to return? That lost dream._

_It was a fairytale, but it was still a beautiful lie…_

"…That familiar…scene of my ceiling above me… A dream… which has left me stunned…I can't hear the world around me…"

Her voice was soft like a whisper, but growing with each word, melody becoming clearer. Carrying her emotions that poured out as she sang.

"I saw that castle… still holding my dreams safe inside… And the sun which shines only in my slumber…"

_Louder… Let them hear it… That I still remember the past…_

"I think I felt it pass in between my fingers, slipping away into the endless wind. My tears blown dry by that gentle breeze, carrying the scent of the ocean."

Heads were lifting, their hopeless rest briefly forgotten. Eyes that had lost the fire of life, faces sunken in their despair. Yet that tune reignited something within them, memories of a life they once lived.

"I don't want the rain of reality to fall here! I want this haven to remain for me to run to, and shelter me from that storm. Please don't let this dreamscape world fall to ruin like the truth has!"

"Hey you! Quiet in the back!" She barely registered the hostile voice from inside her consciousness, and paid even less attention to the threat underlying the words.

"I would rather live in this pack of lies and deceit than face the truth… It's strange, but perhaps it would be painless compared to the life I live in! It's not that I'm a coward, I just miss the days when I only knew how to laugh!"

There was the sound of heavy footsteps, things being knocked over. She sensed someone approaching her, intending to seal her lips. That however, wasn't enough to silence her.

"I think I felt it rustling in the flurry of leaves, whispering my words to the world. My worries drowned out by the symphony of a million other voices singing in synchronicity with me!"

She felt the blow to her head, releasing blinding lights into her now fading vision.

_The last words of my desire…_

"I finally laugh... The memories will not leave me..."

Her chapped lips curled into a ghost of a smile, before her head hit the floor with a thud. Eyelids shut, voice now quiet.

Soul still singing.

**End of Chapter 1.**

Hey, AXC333 here :) Sooo... I really wanted to write this. I haven't got a plot determined, I'm really the type of author who likes writing whatever comes to me, and not deciding on how I want the story to go beforehand.

So, if you'd like, (and this still applies to later chapters), you guys would really help me out by suggesting some OC's! I don't mind if they're good guys or baddies, young or old, whatever you guys can think of, I'd love to include it in my work!

So basically just leave it in your review, or PM me if you'd prefer, and include the following details.

1) The Basics. (Name, Age, Gender etc.)

2) Detailed Appearance (Both characteristics and trademark outfit.)

3) Personality (All types of wonderfully varied characters accepted! Even the loopiest or the kinkiest characters you can think up~!)

4) Abilities (please try to avoid Mary-Sues. Weapons, Devil Fruits, whatever you'd like, is all good!)

5) Pairings? (Optional)

6) Extra tidbits of info (Favourite food, hobbies, birthday.)

7) Affiliations in story. (optional, e.g member of a pirate crew, one of Joker's underlings *fufufufu* etc.)

8) Childhood, past etc. (optional. If you want to include this, it'd be better if you PM'd me.)

Remember, I might have to alter some things to fit the story, so I'll ask you guys first if that happens.

Thanks muchhh :)

P.S i hope this doesn't get ignored, coz I'll just sit at my computer like an awkward potato, probably throw a writer's tantrum and not write xD No just kidding. But still... :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: New Life

**Edit: I have no idea why the last part of this chapter got completely glued together. This is how it appeared earlier on my computer. I think something went wrong with the upload? Ah anyway, I'll be checking the state of the document on the site from now on. **

**-A.X.C333-**

The wooden doors of the compartment swung open with a creak, allowing light to flood into the containers, the lumbering oaf of a guard standing at the doorway casting a long shadow. Behind him were more of his type, brown uniforms making them seem like clones of each other.

A few of the slaves shunned their eyes from the blinding daylight, while the more seasoned ones simply sat there, waiting for them to be roughly dragged out of the cage.

As the slaves, people of different shapes, sizes, races and appearances, but reduced to mere objects, were led out of the prison one by one, the guards noticed the still unconscious girl who had been singing the previous night.

_Had they hit her too hard? That would be troublesome._

As if on cue, her eyes blinked open, iris' a brilliant shade of sky-blue. They were emotionless, and she stood up from her place on the floor. Her once beautiful white dress, hemline reaching just above her knees was now smudged with dirt and blackened by soot.

Another obviously different feature was her long silver hair, which flowed down to her back. There were two long bangs from her forehead that rested on her upper chest.

"Move it. And don't start singing, or we'll knock you out again." A guard snarled viciously at her, tugging sharply on the metal chain connected to her shackles.

She took silent, gracious steps as she was led out of the truck, into the world outside, and then into a building that she would be put on sale again, like a coveted treasure.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"_**Going, going, gone! The fishman has been sold to the lady in the blue gown for 1,500,700 belis. And next, we have slave number 26!" **_

Sazaki Leonhardt heard the distant boom of an auctioneer's voice as yet another slave was sold off. No surprise here, Calaf was a den of thieves and illegal activities. Any marines that set foot on the island were never heard of again. There wasn't really anything to stop them from yelling things out to their heart's content.

But anyway, the island was so hard to find without help, it was rare that anyone without proper tools could make landing in the port town of ruffians. Eternal poses were a rare treasure.

Free as he was, Sazaki had made his way to the island in hopes of finding a client. His term of 'client' was equivalent to anyone who wanted a sword plunged through their enemy's heart.

"**Slave 26 is a young and attractive human girl, which you all can clearly see from her unusual characteristics**_**. **_**What's more, she's a musical one, pretty good at singing the guards have told me. And you won't find better manners anywhere else! Certainly a rare catch, a once-in-a-lifetime chance! Lowest bid starting at 700,000 belis!"**

He could almost hear the interested murmurs of various buyers, deciding whether or not to purchase the apparently appealing slave.

He himself was somewhat curious to see who this girl was, that her bid price had started at 200,000 over the norm.

As he made his way to the auction house, he felt a tug on his sleeve, and looked down to see a stooped old man in a cape carrying a box of little talismans.

"Young man! Would you perchance like to purchase one of these charms blessed by a priest of Kismet? Guaranteed fortune and luck!"

Sazaki simply pushed the seller away, and continued on his way, leaving the old man cursing quite blatantly at him.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Her eyes looked through the crowd, hoping to see a kindly person, but all there was were faces of greedy, harsh masters vying for ownership of her. She could hear the bids rising rapidly, hitting 1,000,000 eventually, the standard price for a fishman.

Little did these potential masters know, that at the end of the day, she planned on being a free girl. She had waited years for this opportunity, and now that her previous master had bitten the dust, she could finally try to escape.

Suddenly, she noticed another person had entered the chaotic room, standing unnoticed at the back. He had jet black hair, a fringe that covered one of his crimson eyes. His features were generally sharp, making him seem somewhat intimidating.

She could just about make out two, no, three sword hilts peeking out from his back. Wearing what he was, he didn't fit in with the rich and gaudy outfits most of the audience was clothed in. A black fur-lined jacket, black top, frankly, black everything, save for his silver ouroboros belt buckle, and the red highlights of his shoes and gloves, the latter having the same mark as his belt. He seemed to have a rebellious air to him, not the typical person who would visit a slave auction.

Apparently, he was uninterested in competing with the hubbub of buyers in the crowd below him, and was instead fixing his hard stare on her. For a few seconds, she held his gaze, but dropped it when she heard that a deal had been made.

"**And gone! Slave number 26 has been sold to that man with a yellow suit, for 1,304,500 belis!"**

Said buyer cleared his throat, before speaking in a ridiculously high-pitched accent.

"If you please, replace that unsightly neck collar with my own. If it scars her neck, I'll only pay you three quarters the price!"

Instantly, a guard stepped forward and began to remove the metal ring around her neck, the threat of less profit hanging over the auctioneer's head.

Sazaki saw it in her eyes before she actually made her move, the eyes of someone who had a couple of tricks up their sleeve.

The second the collar was removed, he could see the faint movement of her lips. He couldn't make out what she said, but she seemed to be singing softly.

And suddenly, the guard fell to the ground, losing consciousness, explosive collar in hands. When he hit the floor, the impact caused the collar to detonate. However, the girl was completely unaffected by the blast, for reasons that were unclear to him. In place of the guard a few seconds ago, there was now a mere puddle of unidentifiable sludge.

By now, guards were swarming over the girl, attacking her with swords and guns, and although some were dropping to the ground in the similar manner that the first guard had done, she seemed to be having problems holding the entire group off. The buyers, and auctioneer, had fled the auction house, for fear of the girl who had just blown up a guard.

Sazaki was the only one left in the hall apart from the girl and the guards.

Sighing, he pushed himself away from his spot on the wall, drawing his two katanas. A small task like this wouldn't require use of his larger and certainly more precious sword, the Gungir. Killing small fry wouldn't really satisfy him either.

"Chi no Kou."

In a swift blur of movement, Sazaki had jumped straight into the frenzy, and slashed through their pitiful defenses before they even realized he had intervened. He noticed that his blade was pushed away in an upwards curve when it hit the air around the girl.

Immediately, there was the sound of skin ripping, shouts of agony, and he knew his attacks had landed square on their targets. The entire group collapsed in unison, their blood spilling out of their large wounds at an alarming rate.

He let his katanas hang in his hands, remaining blood sliding down the two absolutely black blades, flowing onto the ground with a rhythmic dripping.

"Thank you. I must admit, you made escaping much easier for me."

"Don't thank me. It was my own will to help you. What's your name?"

"Yune. Tsukino Yune. Yours?"

"Sazaki Leonhardt. If that's all, I'll leave now." He began to walk towards to the entrance of the auction house, his short answer saying no more than it needed to. He struck her as the type who didn't like to speak much.

"Um… I was wondering… if you could accompany me on my journey to the New World. I'm not that strong, so I'll need a crew!"

"Crew? I'm a sword for hire. I don't do crews. Find someone else." He stated plainly.

"Wait!" He could hear her footsteps echoing inside the nearly empty room. Sazaki turned around to see what she could possibly be doing. Yune seemed to be rustling around through the bags of one of the buyers that had left. She ran towards him, a wad of beli bills in her hands.

"Will this do? I'll pay you to accompany me."

_She seems very persistent. Well, it won't hurt to follow her. The New World should be fun too. Stronger opponents, maybe even that Mihawk guy. Not that I'm interested in his head. _Sazaki thought as he looked at the money.

"Stolen money is still money. Very well. I'll join you." She seemed to smile a little, but turned her head away before he could ascertain that. The pair quickly took their leave from the Auction House, having nothing left to do in that place. They walked to the docks, looking for Sazaki's small ship, since Yune had arrived in a large galleon manned by more slaves. They found it, shadowed by larger and more grand ships that lined the harbor. Since the boat already had plentiful rations to last them for nearly two weeks, they could set off immediately.

The strong tailwind blew the ship out of the harbor, and in no time at all they were far away from the island. Midday was the best time to leave Calaf, at night the ocean around it became stormy and terrible for sailing through.

"I have some eternal poses in my cabin. There's another cabin behind this one, you can take that." Sazaki said while opening his door, "And this guy sleeping on my bed doesn't belong here."

When he realized the meaning of the words he had just muttered, he jumped back a few steps, whipping one of his katanas out of its scabbard. Indeed, on the floor of his cabin, was a young man, asleep on his mattress, with striking red hair. He wore a black eye patch over one eye.

He was wearing a rather elaborate combination of a white dress shirt, black pants, and a deep blue coat with gold trimmings which contrasted quite boldly with his hair. Besides that, he was in possession of a rather small top hat, and an elegant violin with ornate curves. It's bowstring lay on top of it, cream hair resting on the strings of the violin.

And he definitely did not belong on this ship.

** End of chapter 2. **

**I think I should explain a few things behind Yune's name. Firstly, the way I've written it in Japanese Kanji would actually read as 'Yumene' But I shortened it for the sake of a nice name. I'm not sure if you can view the kanji characters here but if they can be viewed: (夢音)The meaning is literally translated as 'Dream melody', which will relate to her past/powers etc. **

**The reason I put her family name 'Tsukino' in front of her given name 'Yune' is because in Japanese that's the standard layout for names, whereas in English, it's Given name then family name. So technically you can view her as Yune Tsukino. It's like how Luffy's 'Monkey D.' is in front of his given name 'Luffy'. **

**Sazaki's name is as it appears in English, Sazaki Leonhardt. The OC of BladeOfTheEclipse! **

**As for Yune's as of now unknown powers, that'll be explained next chapter. **

**A big thank you everyone who submitted your OC's! To everyone else, I'm still accepting more, so feel free to send in yours! Characters will not be introduced all at once, but I'm trying to accept as many as possible. If he/she doesn't suit the current storyline, I'll give you the option of changing things that need to be changed, or I'll keep em in the library for much later chapters. (Currently all OC's that have been sent in are all being lined up for introduction!) **

**Thanks for reading! (And sorry about that entire linking together of the paragraphs, I still have no idea how that happened.)  
**

**-A.X.C333-**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Shards of the Past

His perfectly serene, peaceful face while he slept, apparently blissfully unaware of the two figures standing over him, without any worry at all, you'd think the stranger on the bed actually owned this ship.

That however, didn't stop Sazaki from clenching the hilt of his sword a little tighter, and preparing to swing it down on the unknown man. Yune closed her eyes, to avoid seeing the gruesome fate that awaited the stranger.

However, the sound that reached her ears moments later wasn't the sickening crunch as a sword sliced through human flesh and bones, rather it was the loud rip of fabric tearing, followed by a series of thuds. Yune opened her eyes tentatively at first, but when no overwhelming amount of red filled her vision, she blinked them wide open.

The stranger was now crouching at the foot of the bed, dodging the lethal strike from Sazaki. His emerald eye, (one was covered by his eye-patch), his movements all had an assumed feline grace. The hard scowl etched onto his face, did not. But you couldn't really blame him, if you had nearly been decapitated seconds ago.

Yune realized that his elegant fingers were curled around the leather-wrapped shaft of an axe. The blade had a razor sharp edge, perfect for hacking away at enemies.

"What's the world coming to these days? I can't sleep without worrying about being murdered by some sword-wielding idiot."

There was a splinter of ice in his blunt voice, as cold as the hollow glare which played on his well-defined features.

Sazaki said nothing except return the black look, though this came at no surprise to his companion, he had proved himself to be of few words under favorable conditions.

So it was Yune who countered his comment with just a snide tone as he had done.

"And I suppose sleeping on someone's ship without so much as asking is acceptable?"

"Perhaps not. But I hadn't expected potentially dangerous people to own such a shabby little boat. Who knows? His skills as a swordsman may be as hopeless as your attempt to kill me earlier was."

This earned a demonic sneer from the swordsman in question.

"Would you like to find out?"

"Sure, I've got time to kill."

Yune sighed, shaking her head.

_Why is it everyone seems to have a 'fight now, talk later' stance in life?_

She stepped in between the pair, pushing them apart. In between the two fighters, her small frame seemed quite fragile compared to them. She fixed her firm but calm gaze on her ally.

"If you're going to fight, put it off until we land. There isn't much point in killing this man. I don't care if your ego got hurt by his stupid remarks, but we're stuck with him for now. If you want to kill him, the only place to dump him is the ocean, which I will _not _let you to do."

The emphasis on the 'not' was clear, the underlying threat did not go unnoticed by Sazaki, albeit its unknown nature. Although it did not faze him, he decided to accept her reasons and put the fight off.

"This is postponed, not cancelled." He growled at his opponent, who smirked at the turn of events.

"Getting pushed around by a girl? I guess those swords were only for show."

Before Sazaki could retort, Yune fixed the man with a harsh glare.

"You are in no position to say anything. You'll refrain from attacking Sazaki-san. Or I'll personally use you as fish bait. Understood?"

For a few seconds, the stranger glared at Yune defiantly. But then he sighed and lowered his weapon too.

"Well whatever. But how about this, I sleep during the day on someone's bed, and take night watch. That way I can avoid him," he sent a pointed look towards Sazaki, "most of the time. Fair?"

Yune nodded, after considering the options.

"I hardly think Sazaki-san would let you use his bed though. Use mine. I nearly forgot to ask, what's your name?"

"Rafael Rouxhughe."

A bittersweet smile worked its way onto Yune's expression.

"S and R? Coincidence sure has an odd way of working itself into our lives."

Noting the subtly curious expressions of her two companions, she continued.

"I had two brothers, Ryouji and Shirou. They fought like cat and dog, just like you two. The reason I'm bound for the New World is to reunite with my family. We were... Separated by a war when I was young."

She had hesitated, trying to phrase her reason carefully. They didn't need to know the full story behind the separation. They weren't a crew, just people travelling together for different goals. They would go separate ways one day.

Yune guessed that the pair had been perceptive enough to know she hadn't told them the entire reason. But neither of them showed that in their plain reactions.

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that." There was barely any emotion in Sazaki's straightforward sentence, and for that she was somewhat glad.

Life as a slave had hardened her, there was no room for regrets or tears, all they would amount to were weaknesses.

"If that's all, then I'll be sleeping now. Don't wake me up unless the Marines come. I have a bounty, just to let you know."

Rafael strode out of Sazaki's cabin, heading towards the other cabin. The two who were left there stood silent for a moment.

"I wanted to ask you. What did you do in the auction house? The guard just fainting, not being affected by any attacks…That couldn't have been pure luck could it?"

"How should I put this? From where I came from, we didn't have swords or any weapon for that matter. In all our history, music was the soul and army of our nation. Most people, my country aside, don't seem to understand just how powerful music is. Not too long ago, there was a pirate swordsman, by the epithet of Humming Brook. He's one of the few out there who did."

Yune frowned for a moment, forehead creased in thought. She had put one hand to her chin, while she searched for words to continue.

"It's quite hard to explain, because all modern languages lack words to describe it. Music can be made up of everything, and music can make up everything. But it's only the presence of that particular thing, and therefore you can't actually see it. That's why, in battle I can create whatever I want by song, for example a shield, but it's invisible. I'm still a novice, so I can't do much yet."

With that last sentence, she had lied again. This time, it wasn't even anywhere near the truth. She honestly wanted to stop with the lies, but there were reasons things were kept secret. The same reason that caused the city to burn…

Blinking the unhappy thoughts away, she looked up at her companion, smiling lightly at him.

"I hope I managed to explain it well enough. I'll be outside if you need me."

"Yeah."

**End of Chapter 3**

**Rafael is the OC of LunaticSavage!**

**I'm sorry this chapter took quite so long to be written, I've been busy with Schoolwork. I hope I can give my writing more time in future. **

**Anyway, in case it wasn't clear, they're in the first half of the Grand Line, a little under three quarters to the Archipelago. The canonical time is the last month of the timeskip. **

**So thanks for reading again, and I really hope I won't take half as long for the next chapter. (I hope it'll be longer too.)  
**

**Byeee!**

**-A.X.C333-**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Floating Library

"I think we're going to die before we even reach an island, let alone the New World." Yune's voice was ragged with unquenched thirst.

The ship was completely bathed in the blistering sunshine, unforgiving and merciless as hell. There was no shelter from the sun inside a cabin either, instead of getting sunburnt they'd probably suffocate from the stuffy room.

"Screw this. I ain't dying here." Rafael growled, the dryness of his mouth reminding him of a desert.

Sazaki wasn't even talking. He wasn't going to waste his saliva in such a precarious position.

_Just how did we end up like this? _Yune asked herself mentally, following suit with her companion's silence.

_A few days earlier…_

_The storm was tossing the little boat about in the raging waters of the ocean, threatening to capsize it. Waves continuously threw themselves onto the deck, salty arms grabbing at their ankles, trying to tip them over._

_Nothing was providing even a decent hold on board the boat, every last part of that ship drenched with either rain or seawater. Yune's silver hair flipped wildly in the wind, and her clothes clung to her skin like a wet pelt._

_Now that they had finished securing the sails, would it be safer to wait inside the cabins? What if stuff started to fall of the shelves? Like the eternal poses?_

_When she considered her thoughts, she began to feel worry building up in her mind. The eternal poses! Those were their only guide. None of them had a log pose, as suicidal as it sounded._

_Yune had made a note to get one on the next island. Sazaki said his had broken a little while ago, and he hadn't replaced it. Rafael just assumed that no one would be "that insanely dumb to sail around without a bloody log pose, and would definitely be getting off at the next island, thank you very much."_

_She tried to run towards Sazaki's cabin, though she skidded haphazardly across the deck a couple of times. _

_Just as she flung the door open, another violent wave rocked the ship, causing her to lose her balance and land on her back, the impact temporarily dazing her. _

_As she pushed herself up, the scene that she had dreaded lay before her, millions of glass shards strewn across the floor, along with multiple components of an eternal pose._

_Every last one of them had shattered to a sea of pieces. On the Grand Line, losing the last instrument to guide yourself was much, much more than a nightmare._

_It meant almost certain death._

And that's where they were now, on the brink of crossing over to the other side. At first, Rafael and Sazaki had argued, mainly because they'd have more supplies if _someone_ hadn't so casually waltzed on board for a nap.

The brilliant sapphire waves taunted them, sunlight gleaming off the surface of the sea only making seawater more appealing. What a horrible way to die, dehydrating while being surrounded by water.

_No! I still have to see my family! I still have so many duties back home, if they've rebuilt. I can't die here!_

She lifted her head slowly, trying to look for the horizon, wishing a ship, any ship would appear. Maybe not the Marines, Rafael and Sazaki both had bounties on their heads.

Desperation filled her eyes. If she could, she would possibly break down and cry now. She wasn't ready to die. Death couldn't come so early.

_Stupid thought. I'm not going to think of crying with or without tears._

That's when she saw it, a black splotch fading in and out of her vision. Was it an illusion, the world being cruel to the bitter end? Yune refused to believe that. She hadn't survived her days as a slave by being pessimistic.

"Guys… Over there… A ship…"

She saw something stir in both their eyes. It wasn't quite hope, the emotion was more subtle than that. But they were definitely anticipating something.

When they had seen it too, they began to stand up, renewed vigor spurring them on. Moving wordlessly, exchanging their breath for their movements.

The ship ran on a peculiar engine. Sazaki told them that he had bought it off a queer merchant, who apparently bore white wings. The engine resembled a shell, powered by a pedal. Of course it could sail too, but the shell mechanism got you where you wanted faster.

To put the cherry on the pie, it didn't need fuel or anything of the sort. Never ending power from within that engine.

Sazaki forcefully put his foot down on the pedal, and the engine roared to life. He was the only one who could steer properly using that device, when Yune had tried… it hadn't ended quite so well.

As the ship drew nearer, it began to seem more and more like a building. In fact, it was.

You could just about see the sturdy hull underneath the water, the deck acting as the support for the massive building. It had cream walls, many windows to allow light in. It was about the size of a large mansion.

But as they came even closer, they could see '**Library' **printed in bold black ink over the entrance.

Even bookworms needed to eat. There would be supplies on board.

When they docked, Rafael barely managing to hurl the anchor over the side, Yune stumbled on to the deck. There were potted plants lining the deck, from exotic palms and colorful tropical flowers to more mellow roses and daisies. All the plants were well pruned and carefully weeded, giving out a sweet scent.

The fragrance, however, was only making Yune dizzy. It was flooding into her senses, her gag reflex kicking in. She was allergic to some flowers, causing her to feel nauseous.

The world began to swim around, and her legs buckled helplessly beneath her. Spots of black appeared in her vision while one of her companions tried to help her up.

…

Two of the tower turrets came crashing down, flattening whatever lay in their path. She hoped the rest of her family were okay. They had been separated back in the courtyard, which was now ablaze.

The flames burnt all around, the destruction of her homeland wrenching her heart in guilt.

Why couldn't she do anything?

"Hurry Yune! The invader soldiers are going around kidnapping women and children for slaves."

Her elder sister's voice was barely audible through the thick air of chaos surrounding them.

As they rounded a corner, she suddenly felt an immense pain on her head. Blinding agony, caused by a blunt weapon, spread throughout her system. But her own safety didn't matter. Her sister was in danger. Flailing her arms wildly, in hopes of alerting her sibling.

She couldn't see her assailant, perhaps he or she was standing behind her.

Then unconsciousness took over, leaving the fate of her sister uncertain.

...

The brutal sunlight tried to pry open her eyes with its blinding fingers, and in response to its attempt she shut her eyelids tighter. However, the sun only shone brighter, and eventually her eyelids fluttered open, resigned.

Her throat still felt as if she had Alabasta inside it, and she involuntarily groaned. The dream had been recurring ever since she had escaped slavery, a reminder of how she even fell into it in the first place.

"Are you awake? Your friends are eating now. There's some water on the bedside table next to you." A girl's voice called from across the room.

"Thanks." Yune croaked, turning to look for said water. The minute she saw the large mug, she gulped the whole lot down, not wasting a drop.

There was a larger jug, her host had apparently guessed she would want more. She poured herself another helping of the clear liquid, before she began to observe her surroundings.

The room was small and comfortable, and only furnished with the necessities. Two beds, one which she slept in, a chest of drawers, a bookshelf stacked with rows and rows of various paperbacks. A door which probably led to the bathroom.

Simplistic, but definitely homey.

Then she laid eyes on the owner of the voice who had spoke earlier, a girl apparently younger than her.

Scarlet red hair flowed down onto her shoulders, ending in stylishly jagged points. Two bangs framed her freckled face, which was tanned like the rest of her. She had eyes which resembled the earth, fitting in with her outdoorsy appearance.

The girl's outfit mainly consisted of a blue sleeveless top, worn under a black jacket which sleeves were rolled up, exposing her arms. She had a pair of capris which matched her eyes, and below that she had been fitted with a pair of combat boots.

Two black gloves peeked out of a pocket on her jacket, and finally orange goggles that had been tied round her neck to complete the outfit.

In her hands, she currently held a red book, which cover depicted a gold emblem of a dragon. When she realized that Yune was looking at her, she put the book down and headed over.

"I'm Chloe Harper, by the way. I hope you're feeling better. It's a fortunate thing you fainted here and not on your own ship."

Nodding slowly, Yune continued to sip her water. Before the silence turned awkward, Chloe spoke again.

"I'll be going to the library now."

"Thanks. I don't know what we could've done without you."

"Don't mention it."

Yune watched Chloe leave the room, and heard the dull echo of voices from somewhere outside.

A library... Perhaps they'd have something on the war. I want to know what happened. Yune thought, before getting up to make the bed.

She walked out of the bedroom, her pace slower than normal. She came to the dining room, which was as simple as the previous room.

A table and chairs for eating, a cupboard for storing things and a fireplace for cold days. There were little ornaments on the mantelpiece over the hearth, but nothing too gaudy. Seated around the table were Sazaki, Rafael and another woman she didn't recognize.

The woman's hair was dusty grey streaked with white, held together in a bun. However, she didn't seem frail, rather she was well built. The woman's skin wasn't wrinkled up either, just a few creases here and there. She donned a yellow blouse over a pair of white slacks.

She was probably in her late fifties.

Moving closer, she realized that Rafael had dozed off, probably due to his new habit of sleeping during the day. Sazaki gave her a casual glance, before returning to his meal.

Upon noticing Yune's presence, the woman gave her a warm smile.

"It's good to see you're back on your two feet. I own this library together with Chloe, who you had the pleasure of meeting."

"Yes… So is this really a library ship … Um…"

"Call me Ruby, and no need for any honorifics. This is indeed a floating library."

"Could I take a look around?"

Ruby nodded, and with a wave of her hand she motioned to a doorway.

The library was structured in the shape of a large dome, a glass roof being the main source of light. There were many windows too, but these were more for ventilation rather than light. Tall and elaborate gold window frames surrounded a hole in the wall, allowing her to put her hands out of them.

A salty sea breeze glided in, masking the musty scent of books. Her stomach rumbled in protest of her little exploration of the library, instead of sitting down for a meal.

The tall bookshelves were labeled by their categories, although Yune found herself drifting towards the non-fiction selection, looking for history-related books. Hopefully, someone had written about the war. She wanted to know something about the outcome, no matter how little. Being a slave, she had never learnt of what went on beyond the walls of her master's home.

If it even deserved the title 'home'.

When she passed by the Geography section, she realized Chloe was flipping impatiently through a book, before putting it back in its spot. Although she wanted to ask for help, she sensed waves of frustration coming off the girl and decided not to bother her.

Eventually, right at the very back of the library, she found the shelf she was looking for.

Running her fingers along the spines of books, skipping those which were published by the World Government.

Once upon a time, when she was a little girl, her parents had told her not to believe the lies of the government. Their "history" was only in their convenience, "facts" were mere tales. You could probably get more truth out of a fairytale than what the government said.

She pulled down a book published that year, titled "Wars Throughout the Ages". She flipped to the time period of the Grand Pirate Era.

_With Gold Roger's last words, and the turning of the age, unrest broke out in some nations. Despite the Council of Kings attempts to settle things diplomatically as possible, wars still occurred. _

_Although there were more civil wars, for example the Revolution of Alabasta, there were still others which includes Ohara and its attempt to rebel against the government and the more recent war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines._

Speed-reading through the introduction, Yune finally found the timeline. It was eleven years ago, if her memory hadn't failed her. Sure enough, she recognized the two groups that had warred. She turned to that page, anxious of what had been written.

_The War between the kingdoms of Requierre and Charion, 1513_

_The battle was provoked by a soldier of Requierre, who shot the Charion queen during a conference between the two countries. Much controversy surrounds this action, the soldier had reportedly been completely shocked by his own actions. _

_However, he proceeded to shoot himself, taking the truth with him to the grave. Afterwards, Charion sent its troops to invade Requierre. The capital of the latter country was brought down two weeks after the invasion. Every member of that royal family has been missing since the war._

_The Charion king was killed by a stray bullet soon after. The curtains fell on the war which completely devastated Requierre, and the actual course of the battle are unknown by all but those who participated in the war._

_Most mysteriously, was that Charion was destroyed a day after the royal army returned. In one night, every member of the kingdom had been killed. There were no eyewitnesses left. The only clue that historians have recorded to this date were words written in blood, "It was all a game to them, what fools we've been."_

_No one has ever discovered the meaning behind those words, nor whoever the 'them' as stated in the message was, and the Gorosei have deemed it a mystery that will never be solved._

For a few moments, Yune stared blankly at the words.

_A game? _

That war had been anything but a game. It had killed millions of people, had crushed two kingdoms out of existence. She didn't even know if her family was alive anymore!

And someone had regarded it as a game?

A bitter taste filled her mouth. A feeling like an old friend was returning to her.

Hate.

There was no way the 'them' was her own kingdom of Requierre, apparently destroyed by Charion. So who was it?

Who was it who she wanted so terribly to blame for her suffering?

After being caught by invaders, she had been taken to another town. Sold as an object, no longer seen as a human.

Emotions she had suppressed in front of everyone she'd met since those days, now bursting at the seams. If her life, her family's life, and every soldier and citizen that had died in that battle was a game, then the players were royally twisted.

And suddenly, without warning, she felt something clamp over her mouth. A sweaty, greasy palm to be exact.

Her eyes darted around, and she found herself staring into the faces of people who she neither recognized nor took a liking to. There was a cold blade pressed up against her throat, rubbing sharply against her skin. Any harder, and she would bleed.

_This isn't good. Not at all._

**End of Chapter 4**

**I'm so sorry this update took **_**so **_**long.**

**I've had a pretty shite week. Major exams, failing the revision tests, a sore throat, mosquito bites literally all over. (I swear, if I see another of those buggers I **_**will**_** torture it slowly and painfully) The list goes on. I was in no mood to write, sadly. **

**But now, I'm alive again~ And motivated! So hopefully life runs out of lemons to chuck at me for a while. :)**

**Anyway, about the chapter, Sazaki's boat is indeed a dial boat. Since Uroge came from a sky island, I assumed others could too. Ambitious salesmen for example. **

**I know it's Gol D. Roger, not Gold Roger. But Roger mentioned before that people had taken to calling him the former. So yeah. Not many people realized he was a D. **

**One last thing, Yune is 17 years old. Okayyy, till the next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: New Enemies Surfacing- The Mysterious Kashi and His Boss.

_(Warning: Colorful Language found in earlier dialogue.)_

* * *

Struggling against the clutches of those who held her was pointless. The blade held at her neck was swiftly replaced with a crushing hand, choking her neck, and felt her feet being lifted off the ground.

She could hear devious laughter from the group of seven that surrounded her. The man holding her, likely the leader of the pack, had an unkempt crop of black hair, a long scar running over his face, and body disfigured by similar marks. He was a weathered brute, and she could guess how easy it would be for him to snap her in two like a twig.

"She's the one alright. If Kashi-sama is the one to hand her to the boss, we're sure to be rewarded."

"I don't get why the boss would want her. She's a pretty little piece, but he has plenty more like this bitch."

Yune felt the force on her throat weaken a little, and she drew in a sharp breath.

"Unhand me!"

Her words were met with scornful guffaws, and the ringleader bent close towards her, his one good eye piercing her gaze.

"Unhand you? Wha'dya think you are, a princess?"

She cringed at his sneer, but glared back defiantly, and spat in his face.

"Princess enough for you?"

Her world spun as a fist connected with her jaw, blinding white lights streaking across her vision. The pain burned terribly, but she knew his pride ached more than her mouth.

"Don't fuck with me brat. You're lucky Kashi-sama required you to be in good condition, or I'd be breaking every bone in your body right now."

As he picked her up harshly again, she heard something clatter to the floor. For a moment, her mind was blank, but when one of the rouges picked it up, her heart skipped a beat.

"Hey look here, the princess has a weapon. This'll sell for a lot!"

In his coarse hands, she recognized the pearly hue of the dagger she hid under her shirt. It must've dropped from being handled so roughly. Light glinted off the opals set into the sheathe.

"_With this oath I swear to protect the sacred dagger, only to draw blood with a price paid by my own."_

"Give that back!" The hiss through her teeth, though fierce, carried no threat. The force on her throat was hindering breathing, forget singing. But the urgency in her voice was unmistakeable, even with her restricted volume.

"Think we will?"

Suddenly, she became aware of the presence of others, shadow cast on the wooden flooring.

"I suggest you do. Trespassing and harassing our clients isn't permitted in this library."

Chloe's voice, loud as it was, was probably intended to alert the others in the living space of the ship. There was a low chuckle from one of the rouges, mocking the girl as he stepped forward, brandishing a cutlass.

"Yer tremblin' girl. You'd make a pretty penny wouldn't ya? Play nice and-"

The brigand's voice was interrupted with the sound of boot meeting face, followed by the crunch of a bone breaking. Chloe lowered her leg, man crumpling to the floor.

More footsteps echoed towards them, and Yune made out three approaching figures. Sazaki, emotionless as ever, took quietly confident steps towards the group, blade of his sword ghosted across the floor. Rafael had a more lithe posture, carrying himself with feline grace. And Ruby? Her stance didn't betray her age. There was a twinkle in her soft eyes, as if reigniting some long dulled fire of mischief.

Noticeably, she now held a frying pan in her hands.

"Pirates in a library? What's the world coming to?" Sazaki sighed, an air of boredom in his voice.

"Che. I left my axe on the ship. You deal with them, it's a waste of my energy to fight third-rates like these."

"Hohoho. Don't underestimate an old woman."

* * *

And barely a few minutes later, the sixth rouge found his chest being ripped open, and swiftly knocked out with a deft blow to the head. The last one standing was the ringleader. He had long forgotten his hold on Yune, watching as his group fell at the hands of their opponents. The fight, though it was a far cry from a challenge for the swordsman and the old woman, had gone by in a blur.

Yune had crept away from the leader, who now cowered in fear of defeat. She had recovered her dagger, hiding it protectively within the folds of her dress.

"So, my dear, are you going to tell me why you assaulted one of our clients?" Ruby's spoke, sweet as a rose, but concealing a thorn of malice underneath.

"I swear! I'm not the mastermind!"

Rafael rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, I'd be surprised if a blundering idiot like you would even have the capability to be part of the kidnapping profession. So who's dishing out the orders?"

When the man made no sign to answer, Yune spoke up.

"He mentioned a 'Kashi' earlier. And someone more important than that, but they only referred to him as boss."

The rouge continued to keep his mouth shut, though his face had paled upon hearing 'Kashi'. Rafael pushed his hand into a pocket, and pulled out a shiny object. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a brass pocket watch, engraved with a crest of a blazing Griffin.

The cover swung open with the push of a button. Silver clock hands that had been styled delicately moved at the usual paces. On the clock face, there was the letter 'R' imprinted in bold, bearing a few elegant curves around the letter.

Rafael pressed the button again, holding it down for three seconds. Though the change was unnoticeable at first, the clock hands began to turn faster and faster, picking up speed as they completed more and more revolutions.

"I'd like to know more about this Kashi fellow. Why'd he order you to kidnap Yune?"

When the man spoke again, his voice sounded altered. There was no difference to it's style, but it lacked emotion, coming out in a monotonous drawl.

"He gave us orders to kidnap the girl with sky-blue eyes, because the boss wanted him. He told us that we'd be rewarded by the boss if we succeeded. The boss is a very powerful man, and rewards from him are always generous."

"Who's this boss of yours?"

"We've never met him personally, only Kashi-sama answers to the boss. But we know his identity in the least. He's-"

The man revealed no further, silenced by the loud firing of a gun. The sound was was followed by six more gunshots, and no more.

The entire group turned to the source of the bullets, one of the rouges. His fingers were wrapped tightly around the trigger of the gun, that he had pulled moments ago. He had shot himself at point blank, crimson blood flowing profusely from his temple, and the rest of the rouges had received mortal injuries. The ringleader himself had been knocked unconscious by the impact of the bullet embedded inside him.

Rafael cursed under his breath.

"How timely. Just before we learn anything of importance, our only source of information is silenced. You'd think we were living in a story, departing on an epic adventure to defeat a heinous mastermind of some sort." Chloe murmured.

"Well I won't have this lot bleeding onto my floor, thank you very much." Ruby chuckled.

"Do we toss them overboard?"

"No." Yune's tone was sharp.

"Guessed you'd say that, having an objection with throwing the stowaway into the ocean."

"Well we can't burn them either, we'll just set the bloody ship ablaze."

"There's an oven here, no?"

"..."

"Well what're we waiting for? Dead people don't cremate themselves."

"You're horribly creepy, it's unsettling for you to have such an innocent and weak demeanor."

"I'm just kidding. It's up to Ruby-san what she does with them, I shouldn't trouble her."

A smile flashed across Yune's face, but like she had done with Sazaki when they first met, she glanced away, hiding the expression.

Like she was afraid of something, as if protecting a little treasure, precious but frail.

So weak that it could be carried away by even a gentle breeze.

**End of Chapter 5**

**Finally. FINALLY. They're over. And now, I'm free as a bird~! Only to be reminded of the stories that desperately need updating. Heck, I wish I could write more chapters for this story, to make it up to you guys, but time's pretty tight when you have well. Four stories to update. And a gazillion ideas to put down in black and white. I hate my brain. _Oh look, poor human is struggling with the schedule, let's think up all the ideas that you'd love to write!_  
**

**Scumbag brain.  
**

**By the way, a Griffin is a mythical creature, with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. They're pretty noble creatures, in my opinion anyhow. Hint hint~  
**

**Hehe the 'no-tossing-anyone-overboard' rule of Yune's isn't too important, don't think about it much. In later chapters, I might make a connection, I might not. It'll turn out the way it should :)  
**

**So I've finally updated, and I'm sorry it took so long.  
**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope to update it sooner!  
**

**-A.X.C333-  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A little more about a certain Musician

* * *

In the end, the ruffians were placed on their small boat, docked outside the library, and sent off into the distance. After their pockets had been lightened. Yune had found various materials that could prove to be of use for tracking the man who hunted her, Kashi, but decided to scrutinize them later.

Ruby treated the group to a home cooked dinner afterwards, and for that, they were grateful Yune hadn't pressed the cremating of the bodies in the end.

At some point through the meal, Yune had asked Ruby whether they could buy a log pose off her. She gladly offered the device to the group for free, deciding that they'd earned it for disposing of the ruffians.

After the filling meal, while the others turned in for the night, Rafael stayed up, heading into the library to kill time as the lonely night went by. He ended up sitting on a couch in the center of the library to rest.

It hadn't been more than an hour before his solitude was interrupted, he heard footsteps echoing through the library. Rafael's first guess was one of the rouges friends had come for revenge or other reasons. He reached for his pocket watch, currently the only weapon he had on hand, axe still resting where he'd left it on the ship.

His wariness was for naught though, it turned out to be Chloe. When Rafael recognized the outline of her unique outfit in the dim lighting, he felt himself relax and lean back again.

She took that as a sign that he did not mind her prescence, and seated herself on the armchair opposite him.

The pair sat in silence for a while, till Chloe spoke in a hushed voice.

"The stars sure are pretty tonight."

Rafael glanced upwards, realizing the stars that twinkled in the dark sky like diamonds had put on an even more brilliant display tonight.

Rafael wasn't one to pay attention to such details, though he knew Sazaki stargazed too. He'd seen the raven haired man a couple of times at night, watching the glowing specks when he couldn't sleep.

"They are, I guess."

There was a soft chuckle from Chloe.

"There are so many out there, but it's so easy to remember them with constellations. That one there for example," she pointed to a group of stars packed together, "Is the fruit tree. It's shaped roughly like a tree, and you see how the stars are more concentrated in places? Those are the fruits. And that one over there is the candy cane, you can guess quite easily why it's named that."

Rafael nodded, looking at the straight line of stars that slowly curved into a cane.

For a while, he listened to her talk passionately about all the different star formations. He could tell she enjoyed the subject, with her animated hand gestures, excited tone. With or without words, Chloe expressed such interest in the stars above them.

"And that one over there, that small little star apart from all the others... That's the lone wolf who found friends. It's not the right time of the year now, but in February, you'll be able to see a few other stars beside it. So that star isn't always alone."

He searched for words to say, but stopped when he realized her gaze was resting on him.

"I know a certain lone wolf who ought to find some friends soon. 'Mad Hatter' Rafael Rouxhughe, or sometimes just referred to as 'The Hypnotist'. Black sheep and first son of the Rouxhughe family, a noble line of musicians. A starting bounty of 67 million beli after being discovered to have severed ties with the Revolutionary Army, along with your significant combat skill displayed in a clash with the Marines. Determined as an individual who wouldn't actively threaten the safety of the public. Not known to have affiliations to any other criminal groups."

Rafael snorted. "Someone has far too much free time on their hands."

"Maybe, but you should really consider hanging around those guys."

"Why does it concern you?"

She didn't reply to that question, only shake her head. The silence returned, and the only sound they'd hear was the occasional creak of furniture. Chloe went back to looking at the stars, Rafael to his rest.

At some point, Chloe got up and left, most likely to sleep. Being alone again, Rafael enjoyed the silence. He'd been like this since a long time ago. Alone, undisturbed. Friendships and acquaintances, he'd always found a bother.

He took out the pocket watch from his coat, opening it with a small click. The ticking sound of the hands were slowly replaced by a couple of unpleasant voices.

"_No more. I've tolerated you long enough, trying to educate you on how to be a proper man of class. But joining the revolutionary army will be the last straw. Make your choice Rafael, be my son or be a revolutionary. You can't be both."_

He frowned, remembering as he finally picked the latter, and walked out of his father's home, never to return. And then he heard the other unlikeable voice, his commander in the revolutionary army.

"_If ya have a problem with what we do, then ya don't belong here, kitty cat. Go on, run home to a warm bed and a dish of milk."_

He smiled coldly as the sound of that obnoxious man's nose breaking followed, courtesy of his fist. Then he'd left, breaking the door on his way out, bidding farewell to that hateful nickname his commander had given him.

Whenever Rafael Rouxhughe was related with someone, that relationship always had a bitter end. He'd given up completely on trying to be anyone's friend or ally up until now.

With that thought in mind, he shut the pocket watch, kept it away safely and tried to sleep a little.

_Yune was no different from all the rest. He'd leave her, and soon forget her name, her face as he continued on with his life, _He told himself as he nodded off, drifting into the peaceful world of slumber.

**End of Chapter 6.**

**I FINALLY WROTE THIS CHAPTER I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF. WELL, I HAVE TO EAT DINNER NOW, AND TO MAKE UP FOR MY DISAPPEARANCE, I'LL WRITE ANOTHER CHAPTER AFTER EATING!**

**SORRY EVERYONE FOR THE LONG WAIT I FEEL SO HORRIBLE AND DESPICABLE NOW :(. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Help her become Stronger

* * *

The morning came with a dull overcast sky, heavy showers to be expected later in the afternoon. There was a cold northerly wind, and the seas were rough. However, the library was sturdy and safely anchored to the sea bed for now.

Chloe woke up to find herself halfway off the bed. She stood up and stretched, and began to head to the dining room of the living space, the scent of crispy fried bacon wafting into the bedroom.

Last night had been rough on her. She'd dreamed about _that _incident. To make things worse, the weather was oddly similar to the morning after it. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she changed her course and walked to the bathroom.

As expected, her murky brown eyes were bloodshot, and there were traces of shadows under her eyes. What a tiresome pattern. Sleep was hard for her to come by, and it was little more than cruel torture. Whenever she couldn't drift off, _that _incident would always come to mind.

The memories were often exaggerated, she knew, but it was still hellish reliving them.

_It wouldn't do any good to focus on it though._

Chloe came out to the dining room, finding everyone already seated at the table tucking in to the delicious breakfast. She took her seat at the table, and began picking at her food with a fork. It didn't seem quite so appetizing after last night's horrors.

She heard Ruby give a meaningful cough, and found the old woman smiling knowingly at her. She knew very well what Chloe went through. When Chloe had first come aboard, she'd told Ruby everything about what she'd done.

And throughout their time together, Ruby had helped heal the aching scars, guilty with her mistake. Being away from the land had been helpful too. How long it had been since she'd last seen the earth. Whenever they needed supplies, it was Ruby who would dock at the nearest town and purchase them with her savings.

Ruby had earned a lot back in her day, when she'd been a gardener for a certain royal family. And she'd saved up to run her own library on the seas, which had been her dream. So she'd accepted Chloe under her wing some years ago, being able to provide for the little girl.

Back to the point, of course Chloe knew one day she'd have to return to land, that was inevitable. That's why she spent every moment she could revising those geography books. But was theory alone enough to stop history from repeating itself?

"So, you all will be leaving soon I gather?" Ruby said to Yune, who nodded.

"Thanks to your Log Pose, Ruby-san. I don't know what would've happened without your help. I'm really grateful for everything you've done over these two days."

"Oh relax dear, like I said before, no need for honorifics. I would like to ask a favor of you though."

"Yes?"

"Well you see, if it isn't too much trouble, could you take Chloe with you?"

_Wait what?_

She dropped her fork, as it fell to the floor with a clatter. She didn't know how to react to that. Of course Ruby wasn't kicking her out, she knew the old woman would never do that. But this was still something she didn't understand.

"You see… Chloe is facing a problem with control right now. Over her powers. Where should I begin… Chloe is geokinetic. You can guess roughly what that means, can't you? She can control the earth."

"Control the earth?" Sazaki mused.

"Well, she can cause rocks to move about without touching them, or create earthquakes," Chloe cringed at the second example, "It's quite hard to understand these powers. I suppose you could say she is able to manipulate the Earth."

"That's… dangerous." Rafael muttered.

Ruby nodded gravely.

"Indeed it is. It's done much more to anguish than to aid her, unfortunately. Which is why I want you to take her along on your journey. You are all obviously strong people in different aspects. Chloe needs to learn things that she can only gain through experiencing them, rather than reading about them. As grown-up as she'd like to think she is, she's still a child."

Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but she was silenced by Ruby.

"And I'm not just talking about your powers dear. I don't want you to be cooped up in this place for the rest of your life. Besides, staying here is only running away from the problem. You have to face it sooner or later."

It somewhat annoyed Chloe how close Ruby's words hit home. She herself was curious about the places many of the books had depicted. So many things she had yet to experience, only read about. The risk that her powers would get out of hand was being outweighed by her interest in the world beyond the library walls.

And the part about facing her problems was true too. There was no fighting the itching need to learn to control her abilities.

"Of course, the decision is up to you Chloe."

There was excitement bubbling inside her, something she only ever felt when she was reading a really good book. It was building up, gaining momentum with each passing second.

"Can I really?" Chloe glanced at Yune and the two men, anxiety chewing at her.

"Of course you can! I would be really happy to have you with us." Yune said, the corners of her lip ghosting into a smile.

"Sure, why not?" Sazaki said nonchalantly, shrugging.

"Whatever, I don't mind either way." Rafael said in his usual grouchy voice.

"I'll go. I'll go with you! To become stronger." _So no one will get hurt again, _she added silently to herself, her resolve renewed.

"Then it's decided! You're our fourth crewmate!"

"Don't count me in!" Rafael growled at Yune, though she proceeded to whack him on the head.

Chloe smiled, watching as the two got into a childish argument over Rafael's (in his opinion, nonexistent) position in the crew, which eventually led to Sazaki being dragged into.

It would be fun, going with these guys, she concluded. She wondered whether Rafael had really considered her words last night. Even if he hadn't, she had an official reason to care, and keep him in the crew by Yune's orders naturally.

And maybe, just maybe, she could forget _that _incident.

* * *

_Somewhere in the New World…_

_The room had such a evil atmosphere to it, shaded from natural light and hidden from the outside world. One could barely make out the rich furniture in the purposely dim lighting of the room. Another feature of the room was the many paintings that hung on it's walls. It's primary occupant was no less sinister than the room._

The sound of glass shattering filled the air as the man flung a glass against the wall. His subordinates cowered in fear, seeing him on a rampage that no one present could calm.

"You're telling me, that you dogs can't even kidnap one pitiful girl? Explain what you mean by they're 'dead'."

"B-But Kashi-sama it's true! One of the boss' men found their bodies in the ship. Apparently he isn't very pleased-"

_The pirate was silenced by a single gunshot._

"Hmm… Not surprising that they're all dead, considering how easy it was to kill you. But jeez, the boss is pissed? I'll be six feet under and the laughing stock of all the others if I don't turn this situation around."

"Kashi-sama?" Another pirate spoke, voice shaking, from within the darkness.

"The annoying thing about being the subordinate of someone powerful is that you don't have to doubt your own powers; it's your underlings that are all incompetent fools."

He picked up a knife that lay on the table in front of him, and flung it accurately at a picture that had been placed in between two of the paintings in the room.

He grinned wickedly as the face of the silver-haired girl in the picture tore up, pierced mercilessly by the blade.

"Very well, Tsukino Yune. If you want to play this deadly game of hide and seek with the adults, then by all means, let us play."

**End of Chapter 7**

**Whew, what a bad guy you are Kashi, I love you already. You'll be seeing more of Kashi soon, but not quite yet. I forgot to mention this earlier, but Chloe is the OC of ****kitsunelover300. Ruby is my own OC. Kashi is the OC of reven228. **

**As for **_**that **_**incident, you'll find out in due time. Chloe is 15, full name Chloe Harper.**

**Tata for now, I'll be back with more chapters soon!  
**

**Once again, sorry for the two weeks disappearance! :(  
**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Minnow Harbor 

* * *

After battling their way through the ever-changing seasons on the Grand Line, the group eventually arrived at the next island on the log pose's route.

It seemed small, and as they approached it, Rafael felt his chances of ever being able to leave the group ebb away.

The island was barely large enough to accommodate a small village and an overgrown forest at the edge of the island. There was a sign that once said "Welcome to Minnow Harbor", but half the letters had been washed away by high tide, such that it read "W ome t i r". There were a few shoddy boats in the dock, all neatly lined up in a row.

The dock itself had various fishing maritime tools strewn across the boardwalk, making it a hazard to so much as walk there.

The group guided their ship to the docks, which seemed rather grand compared to the other boats present. There was only one other person at the docks, a middle aged man who was sifting through some tangled nets.

While Sazaki attached the ship to an empty mooring bollard, the rest of the group approached the only local around.

"Excuse me… is there anywhere we could-" Yune began, but was swiftly interrupted by a violent fit of coughing and response from the crooked man.

"No! –cough- There's no –cough- one here –cough- that'll take you in! –wheeze- Go away –cough- now!"

Without waiting for a reply from the group, the man stormed off, muttering and coughing as he went.

"Well they sure know how to treat visitors." Rafael snorted.

"Come on, I'm sure there's at least one person who would sell us food." Yune sighed, motioning Sazaki over.

It turned out though, that the old man wasn't lying. Usually they would receive a similar response from a villager, if the door wasn't slammed shut in their face first.

After their hopeless attempts at getting so much as someone who would offer them food, the crew walked back to the village square to rest. There was a rusty old fountain that looked like it hadn't flowed since ages ago. The village seemed to be set in a monotone of greys, dull and lifeless.

There were no people on the streets bidding each other good day. No fishmongers (it was a fishing village, after all) comparing each others catch of the day. No bright wildflowers growing by the path. There wasn't so much as the sound of children laughing or playing catch with each other.

Almost as if they were all holding their breath, afraid of something.

Suddenly, the group heard footsteps of someone approaching them. They looked up, and recognized the one of the villagers from earlier, an old lady with completely white hair.

"Do you need help madam?" Yune asked politely, as the old woman came closer.

Without warning, the old lady took Yune's hands in her own, holding them tight. Sazaki began to draw his sword, but stopped when he realized the old woman was shaking all over.

"Please… save us!" her tears began to fall onto their hands as she pleaded with the group.

"We can't help you unless you tell us everything, madam." Yune spoke softly, leading the lady to sit down by the fountain.

The old woman hobbled over, and sat down slowly, knees weak and unsteady.

"My name is Tabitha. I'll tell you everything… but promise me… save our village."

Yune nodded once, and the rest of the group gathered around as the lady began her tale.

"This island wasn't so bad a long time ago. We'd welcome anyone who stopped by our humble village, so long as they didn't threaten the peace of our village. We would sell our handmade trinkets to passing trade ships, our village being the last stop before the Island of Bazaars, Kismet."

The old woman paused as a smile crept onto her old and wrinkled face.

"Those were the good days. Idle afternoons spent working on handicrafts made out of fish bones, while the men fished.

But then he came, on the night of a full moon."

Her gaze hardened, eyes filled with hatred and anger.

"He wore a mask, all we know is that he only had one eye, the other lost to a wild animal of some sort. He declared that from now on, we were no longer allowed to connect to the outside world. He called it his 'purification' of our island, an act we should be grateful for.

Naturally, the villagers opposed him, hurling threats at him and telling him to leave the island. Wordlessly, he descended upon the crowd, and caught one of the villagers in a vice grip. We tried to stop him from doing whatever he was doing, but he was faster and stronger than all of us combined. He guided the villager's head up towards the moon, and whispered some words.

The next thing we knew, the man began to turn to ash, starting from his head onwards, down to his feet, until there was nothing left of him.

Then that man warned us, the same would happen should any of us show any kindness to foreigners. He told us that if the foreigners did not leave by the next full moon, they too would suffer the same fate as the 'impure'. Then he left for the forest, and as far as we know, he resides there.

While no one was brave enough to actually face him directly, some defied him by continuing to sell wares to traders, along with a few unlucky travelling merchants who came the day of the next full moon. He appeared without warning that night, and indeed carried out his threats. Since then, no one has stepped out of line.

Eventually, merchants caught wind of the news that our island was unsafe, and people stopped dock here. We became isolated, and very few people land here now, most turn away after we give them the cold shoulder. The marines… they never came. We're a small little town after all, too much hassle for the headquarters. No point expecting those so-called enforcers of justice to show up if there's nothing in it for them."

Tabitha stopped for a moment, looking away, gaze pained.

"It would've been fine if it had stopped at that. We could still live and get on with our lives, so long as we didn't break his rules. But then suddenly, a couple of months later, he started a new pattern. Three nights before the full moon, he would come and take one of the children, and days later we would find their bloodied corpses in the fountain. I have no idea what he could do to mar their appearance so terribly."

"Hang on, tomorrow's a full moon. Does that mean he came two days ago?" Chloe asked Tabitha, who nodded gravely.

"He took my granddaughter this time. And that is why I have come to beg you to save her, save us. My sweet little cherub who's parents were victim to that man, she meant everything in the world to me. Life doesn't have it's value without her anymore. I know she's alive. She has to be… so please…"

The old woman began to break down in sobs, unable to continue her wish. Yune wrapped her arms around her, holding her as she cried.

"Well then, where should we start?" Sazaki asked as he stood up, swords in hand.

"The forest, he lives there." Came the broken voice of the old lady.

"One last question, if I may Tabitha-san. Why have none of you ever tried to leave the island? You have the means, albeit risky, with those little fishing boats."

"Oh, some have. But when he learnt of this, he turned two villagers for every escapee to ash. And so, no one leaves. That would betraying the village, and believe me, we were once a very close-knit village, still are in fact."

"I see, so you really have no chances of escape then. Then we leave for the forest immediately. I promise you, Tabitha-san, we'll find your granddaughter."

The old woman nodded solemnly, but then she seemed to remember something.

"I nearly forgot… that same day, another outsider had arrived at the village. She had a very large and well crafted boat, and she seemed to be some sort of mechanic judging by her attire, maybe a shipwright. She arrived just in time to see my granddaughter taken by that fiend.

She didn't know the tragic tale of this village, didn't get the chance to find out. But she stood up to that man. He consequently knocked her unconscious, used her ship to navigate to the other side of the island. I worry for her, that poor thing stumbled in at the worse possible time. I know this is already too much to ask, but would you look for her too? I don't want her to end up like the other children, completely savaged and destroyed by some weapon of his."

"Don't worry about it. We'll get both of those girls, and we'll defeat that man. What do you guys call him anyway?" Rafael asked.

"We just refer to him as _him._ You could ask him, but I don't think he'd tell you. He didn't tell any of us either."

"Then we're off guys. Let's move quickly, I don't know how much time they'll have before he does whatever he does to them." Yune addressed her whole crew, as they began leaving for the forest.

"Good fortune to you… and thank you." Tabitha called after them, watching as they plunged into the trees.

**End of Chapter 8**

**Oh my god. I'm so terribly sorry that this chapter took so long. I keep telling myself to write, but I always can't find the motivation I need to write a good chapter. This chapter had been planned out and drafted, with a much different series of events, and I just didn't like the way it went. So this is chapter 8, finally brought to you. I'll try and do the next two chapters tomorrow. **

**Another thing, about the time and the location of the crew, (I'm not sure how many of you read my author's note, but for those who do,) I stated earlier that it was a month before the Strawhat's reunion, and 3/4 of the way to Sabaody… I'm making a change to that. It's now two and a half months before the reunion, and 1/2 of the way to the archipelago. I hadn't planned on the story arc for this island being quite as long as it's heading now (3 or 4 chapters). So I think I don't want to cram so many of the events I have planned into the last quarter of Paradise. (That's how people refer to the first half of the grand line canonically, so I'll just do the same.) Halfway would be better I think. **

**I know my story isn't quite piratey as One Piece fictions should be, but I hope I can give it the 'Yohohoho and a bottle of rum' air soon!**

**Ah… so for the people who still follow this story even after my crappy track record with chapter updates, thank you all so much for reading this story! It means a lot to me, since I'm trying to do a story that won't be criticized for being unrealistic, or having Mary Sues/Gary Stus, or portraying cannon characters wrongly. (They'll show up in due time, I promise.)**

**So in other words, I'm really trying to do my best with this fiction, and I've been focusing my time on it. I just can't get my ideas down in black and white! **

**So hehe once again… thank you all! :)**

**-A.X.C333-**

**P.S, this story actually received fanart of the crew! *cries a whole waterfall* none of my stories have ever ever **_**ever **_**received fanart before, so I'm really excited for this story. I'll give you guys the link once it's up on deviantart. The art was done by LunaticSavage, c'mere let me give you a big huggggg~! **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Into the Wolf's Lair

* * *

The trees were so tightly matted together, it was more of a spidery green tangle than individual trees. It seemed like no one had been in the forest for a long time, seemingly all the plant life they found was undisturbed.

Even if the forest hadn't seemed large on the outside, inside it was a labyrinth. There was no clear path, no way to mark your trail. There were birdcalls they'd never heard before, gleaming eyes that peeked through the bushes.

Worse of all, it was utterly dark. The canopy of trees above trapped the sunlight, such that there were only tiny spots of light from above.

"I've never seen so many different plants in one place other than in books before." Chloe murmured while she yanked one of her boots away from two roots that it had been snagged in.

"He could be anywhere. We don't even know where he lives. He might even be watching us now." Rafael muttered, pulling through a couple of vines hanging from a tree.

"Hold up everyone. Rafael, let me see those vines." Chloe began as she took a length of the vines in her hands.

Upon closer inspection, the vine was rather thin and appeared to have yellow and black spots dotting it.

"This isn't right… This type of vine should only grow in a desert climate. One last test… Sazaki, could you slice a bit of the vine off?"

He agreed silently, taking a katana out of it's scabbard, and deftly sliced off a section of the vine.

"And this settles it. The vine's already dead inside, it's dusty and hollow in places. In other words, this vine was placed here."

"Then we have our man. Look carefully, there are more vines in the trees ahead. Without the proper knowledge, you wouldn't be able to tell these vines apart, so only he knew they marked the path to his home." Yune pointed out the several trees that had similar vines hanging from them.

"Let's go and get this over with."

Following the trail of vines, the group pushed on further into the trees. Eventually, they took a short break before pressing on, to catch their breath.

"Hey Chloe, how'd you know all that stuff anyway?" Rafael said to the younger teen, as he sat down beneath a tree.

"Hmm? I read it somewhere. To be honest, those vines only thrive on the islands of Kismet and Alabasta. You think this masked man came from the former? We're heading there next."

"Whatever it is, he's a creep. I hope we don't run into more of his kind."

"We should get moving now, I can't really tell but the little sunlight seems to be fading." Yune called from where she stood. "We should be almost there, anyway, there's only so much forest there can be on this island."

Pushing through the overgrown forest once more, the eerie noises of the forest was interrupted by a different sound, the sound of waves lapping across a shore.

Suddenly, the trees broke off into a little clearing by the edge of a cliff. The sun was beginning to reach the horizon, sunset was only a few minutes away. The first thing that struck them was that the clearing was almost completely empty. No house, not even a tent.

The only thing that was there, was a large stone boulder. And on that, was an inscription.

It was a rune, that appeared in the shape of a closed eye. Beneath it, was the word 'Af' carved onto the rock.

"The vines lead here, so he must live here. The only place I can think of is underneath this rock, inside an underground cave."

"We'll try to push it open first." Sazaki motioned Rafael over, who reluctantly followed.

Though both men pushed and heaved against the rock. It didn't move so much as an inch. Next, they tried to cut it open with their weapons. That didn't work either. Moments after they put their blades to the rock, they stopped.

"You felt it too right? Any longer and our weapons might've shattered." Rafael looked at Sazaki, who nodded.

"Wait, I have an idea." Chloe knelt down, rubbing her finger in some of the dirt.

At the eye rune she drew a circle, such that the eye now appeared open.

"Af is the symbol of purity, but also sunset, in the religion of the desert god Rizath. Worship is practiced in its holy city of Kismet, so I suppose that's where our masked man came from. When the symbol of Af is an open eye, it represents doors opening."

She closed her eyes, visibly concentrating on something. Without warning, the stone began to turn, such that the sunlight fell onto it. Chloe opened her eyes, smiling at her friend's somewhat surprised reactions.

"I'm geokinetic remember? I haven't done that in a long time, it felt good. I still couldn't push the boulder aside though, I think it's built on a pole mechanism that only allows the boulder to turn."

As the light fell on the eye, it reflected off in a bright beam of light, onto a patch of ground, causing the earth to bake and smoke. Finally, when it stopped, it was clear that there was something beneath the dirt.

"Here, let me handle this."

The dirt shifted to a side by itself, revealing a trap door that had been concealed beneath the dirt. Evidently, there was no lock on the door, thus making it easy to open.

"Our masked man has been very efficient in his time here, digging his way underground and then hiding the entrance with a whole puzzle." Rafael muttered as he lifted up the trap door, which revealed a staircase leading downwards.

"So it's underground…" Chloe sighed, voice shaking a little.

"You have a phobia of the underground?" Yune asked, a little surprised.

"No… it's just… I won't use my powers guys. I could hurt you all by accident. So don't rely on me for a fight."

"Don't worry, you've been really helpful so far. We never could've made it this far without your knowledge!" The silver-haired girl smiled back at Chloe, before she began to descend the steps, followed by Sazaki.

"After you." Rafael called, still holding up the trap door.

She carefully took the first few steps, dipping her head due to the low headroom. Finally, Rafael followed her, and there was the sound of the trapdoor shutting, reopening, and shutting again.

"Just checking if it shuts properly." He whispered, for only the group to hear. "It's pitch black down here. Anyone have a match?"

"Actually, there's a bit of light coming from somewhere to the left…" There was the sound of someone walking straight into a wall.

"You okay?" Chloe could make out Sazaki's voice and the shuffle of some footsteps.

"Uh yeah… There's a corner here guys, careful. Yup, I can see the light from over there… I wonder if we still have the element of surprise?"

"Oh, I can answer that for you." Another voice, not belonging to any of the crew shouted scornfully from the source of the light.

Immediately, Sazaki drew his sword, and Rafael his axe. Chloe prayed that he didn't find her first.

"The answer, little trespassers, is no."

**End of Chapter 9**

**Your reviews were all very motivating for me… It's good to know that people like this story. And then Oxenstierna D. Yuki-Rin not only started reading my story but let me add the Capricorn pirates from her fiction '****One Piece: Parallel Works'**** to this story! I'm really hyped because of that. Her story '****Da Hungah Games: Director's Cut' ****was the first One Piece story I read on here, also what motivated me to write fanfiction. (even though it was a parody xD) **

**So to know that my inspiration started reading, and even liked my story, it's definitely helped with this chapter. I'm so happy right now, I think I'd burst with all these good feelings about this story. I had doubts that my story wasn't good, but now, thanks to everyone's support, I'm reassured that my story is on the right track. I'm really really grateful for everyone's reviews and favorites!**

**Thank you everyone! I'll be continuing with Chapter 10 very soon!**

**-A.X.C333-**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Man Behind the Mask

* * *

For a moment, no one spoke. There was a lingering echo of that man's voice. Trying to leave now would be pointless, turning their back would guarantee death at the hands of their adversary.

Slowly, cautious of anything that would lie in wait of them, the group began moving towards the source of the light. The light seemed to be flickering, indicating that at least one candle was lit.

Each step was bringing them nearer and nearer to the masked man's lair. They realized another thing, the air was thick with the scent of herbs, as if they were walking into an apothecary.

Reaching the cave, they saw the figure of the man, wrapped in a deep purple hooded cloak. His mask was mainly white with black tribal swirls adorning the edges of it. He was standing besides a small bubbling cauldron, that seemed to be filled with a sickly green liquid.

There was no sign of either of the kidnapped girls, suggesting that he'd hidden them elsewhere. The atmosphere was tense while no one spoke. The dim candlelight was flickering in a corner. They also noticed a small hole in the ceiling which was ventilating the entire cave.

Without warning, the man launched himself at Sazaki, wielding a dagger that he'd concealed under his cloak.

The swordsman threw himself out of the path of the fast approaching blade, countering with his own sword. Despite being outmatched by the size of Sazaki's larger sword, the Gungir, the masked man parried Sazaki's blow long enough to dodge the attack.

Meanwhile, Rafael had snuck up on the man, preparing to bring the axe down on his exposed neck. However, before he could, the man made an attempt to cut Rafael's leg, and the latter hopped out of the way.

It was then that the masked man realized that Chloe and Yune were standing over the sole table in the room, which was covered with a mess of scrolls and scriptures.

With a roar, he jumped towards the redhead, aiming to stab her.

"Look out!" Rafael's cry was at the same time Chloe turned around, sensing the danger.

When it seemed like the man would really run her through with his dagger, Yune managed to push Chloe aside, and the blade impaled the papers harmlessly.

This unfortunately, only served to anger the man even more, seeing that some of his precious papers had been ruined. He turned his blade on Yune, but only managed to sever a few strands of her silver hair.

Taking his miss as an opportunity to strike, Rafael threw his axe towards the man. It knocked the dagger out of his hand, weapon clattering uselessly to the floor. As he made a dive for the dagger, Yune pulled his mask off, effectively knocking his hood back too.

He was bald, without so much as a strand of hair on his bare head. His face had twisted features, wrinkles creasing his face. As Tabitha had described, he only had one eye, the only thing left of the other was a long scar running down his face. His skin that was once a sandy tone, was now been marred by discolorations.

He hissed, realizing that he'd been exposed, and reached for his mask.

"You fools, trying to defy his holiness' will to claim this village. You and that other girl will all pay for your interference."

From within his coat, he retrieved a pouch. Immediately, he scattered its contents, powder of some sort, into the flames beneath the cauldron. The flames consumed the substance, and suddenly a thin green smoke began to rise from the fire, filling the room.

Instantly, Yune felt her breathing become ragged, her lungs burning from inhaling the strange smoke. She dropped down to the ground, a fit of coughing taking over her system. Her eyes burned, tears welling up in their corners. She could tell her companions were suffering the same way, their own coughing evident besides her own.

However, the man seemed completely unaffected by the smoke, and watched them fall with a malice-filled sneer.

Her vision was fading, deprived from pure air that she could breathe. Her consciousness slipped away from her, like sand falling in between her fingers. She made a final, futile grasp for it as it slipped away into the darkness.

* * *

There was a dull buzz in her mind. She tried to clear it out of her mind, but it persisted, only growing clearer. It turned out to be voices in a conversation. For a moment, she thought they sounded like her family.

Her eyes flickered open, but they were greeted by darkness. She shifted, groaning. Now that she wasn't half asleep, she realized, with slight disappointment, that one of the voices belonged to Rafael. He had paused with whatever he was saying, turning his attention to her.

"I see you're up, Yune." His voice sounded somewhere far from her, a way across wherever they were.

"Yeah. What were you guys just talking about?"

As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she realized that Chloe was right next to her, while Rafael and Sazaki were on the other side of the room. Yune tried to move her hands, but winced when she felt rope cutting into them. She got the impression that she bound to some sort of wooden pole.

"Like I was just saying, it's strange he didn't try to incinerate us like he'd done to the villagers."

"I think I have a vague idea why. He appears to be a follower of Rizath, doesn't he? Those scrolls we saw earlier had much of that religion's symbols, though I don't know what most of them mean. Turning people to ash by whatever means is probably a sacred ritual that he only carries out on a full moon." Chloe's voice replied, sounding a little rough and scratchy.

"So he knocked us out instead with whatever that powder was?"

"Yeah, something like that. But that doesn't explain why he's not affected by it."

"An antidote." Sazaki spoke for the first time since she'd been awake.

"Sorry?"

"He has an antidote," Sazaki repeated, "That protects him from the effects of that powder."

"That would make sense…" Chloe trailed off, lost in thought.

"And that thing he was brewing earlier, I get the feeling it's involved with his ability to incinerate people." Yune pointed out.

There was a short silence, but it was interrupted by a few sounds from behind her. It then dawned on her that this was probably where the other two were being kept. She strained her neck to see behind, but she was unable to move much.

"Is anyone there?" She called.

"Um… Allie-onee-san… I think they're talking to us…" A child's voice spoke quietly, apparently talking to someone else beside her.

"Hi! I'm Allie, and this is Peony! We're in exactly the same situation as you guys, and we don't really have anything to contribute to this conversation, so don't mind us." Another, rather cheery voice spoke, sounding completely out of place.

**End of Chapter 10**

**And finally, chapter 10. I meant to write this yesterday, but damn the latest manga chapter was just. Wow. I really couldn't focus for long, so I ended up writing today. Ah yes, the link for the fanart. It's become drawings of the crew as children, so check it out if you're interested ^^**

**Link: (hastag)/d5liqn8**

**(Let me know if the link isn't working for you guys again!)  
**

**-A.X.C333-**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A long awkward silence filled the room, the crew somewhat stunned by the unexpected prescence of the duo. Eventually, Yune gathered her voice and spoke, the surprise still lingering in her voice.

"Were you two kidnapped by him as well?"

"Oh yes, I was trying to rescue Peony here but he got the better of me. It seems like we're all in the same boat, doesn't it?" Allie chirped.

"Is your head filled with clouds or something?" Rafael muttered sourly, her cheer obviously annoying him.

"Uh I don't think so…" She sounded rather perplexed by his "odd" inquiry.

"It was a rhetorical question." He groaned, rolling his eyes. The heavy silence returned, and stayed longer this time. However, this time it was broken by an unlikely individual.

"I-If you were wondering how that man turns people to ash, I think I know…" Peony mumbled, perking the interest of the group.

"It's alright, tell us what you know." Chloe's voice was gentle as she coaxed the evidently shaken child into speaking.

"Well the rest of the villagers don't notice, but I did, since I'm short. That man has a pair of gloves, and he has this green liquid that oozes out when he grabs them. It… it burns their skin." Her voice faltered, the dreadful images flashing in her mind.

_Poor child, she's far too young to experience this kind of horror. _Yune mused, trying hard not to let her vivid imagination paint the scene in her mind. She dismissed the thought, turning her attention to their current situation.

"Well that explains the green stuff he was making then. Anyway, we've to get out of here. I'm not sure how long we've been out, but wasting time here won't give us an answer. Could you two boys try and break those ropes? I'm sure the two of you working together could do it."

"Uh… the thing is…" Rafael's voice sounded almost nervous, a strange occurrence for the typically brazen and foul-mouthed musician.

"What?"

"Let's see, how should I put this…?"

"Oh cut to the chase already!" Allie yelled from her place.

"I'm not exactly physically strong so… I don't think… I'll be much help… in this department." He finished, and Yune could swear he was red-faced, if only slightly.

"In other words, you're weak." Sazaki remarked, a rare hint of amusement creeping into his usually emotionless voice.

"No one asked for your opinion, asshole." Rafael growled back, his usual hostility immediately surfacing again, burying his earlier bashfulness.

Yune sighed in exasperation as the two glared at each other, the chances of a fight breaking out between them rising steadily.

"Before you guys tear each other's throats out, we've gotta get out of here first." Chloe interrupted their staring match.

An idea came to Yune's mind, one she decided to give a shot. After all, it was unlikely that there were other options.

"Ah, I think I could try something, actually. I haven't explained this to the rest of you apart from Sazaki… To put it simply, I can sing the prescence of something into existence here. So in this case, I'm going to sing a shield into prescence. It'll cause the ropes to stretch and hopefully break."

"Whoa that's so cool. Are you a devil fruit user or something?" Allie asked, a hint of admiration in her voice.

"No, it's a method of fighting that originated from my homeland. But let's waste no more time."

Yune took a deep breath, and started singing the first few notes of her short tune. There were no words to be heard by those around her, a song without lyrics.

It was a strange tune, and they couldn't exactly describe it, though it was clear in their minds. A mysterious melody, with low tones, that reminded Sazaki of the sound his swords would make should he hit a shield.

Chloe's eyes widened as she noticed the ropes that bound her loosening, an invisible force now forcing a gap between the ropes and the pole. Apparently, the man had not thought to actually tie up her hands, rather restraining them by tying her wrists against the pole, and thus her hands came free easily.

Yune, along with the pair behind them, managed to free her hands too, her singing coming to an abrupt stop. Consequently, the ropes snapped back into place, causing the redhead to cringe at the thought of her hands being caught there.

"Yay! I'm free at last! Man does it feel good to move my hands again." The delighted voice that could belong only to Allie sung, and she stepped out from behind the pole, apparently holding Peony's hand. It was too dark to see the details of either's appearance, though Peony was at least half Allie's height.

Allie herself stood a head taller than Yune, and seemed to have a bright hair, which was held together by a long pony tail.

"That's all very nice but if you would, _a little help here?_" Rafael's contrasting growl sounded quite odd after Allie's jovial exclamation.

"It won't work the same way. The shield comes from my hands, and frankly I'd rather not force my hands through that rope. He's got to have something sharp in here, though preferably he's kept our weapons. We'll go look for something and be right back." Yune explained, and then motioned for Chloe to follow her.

"What if he sees you?" Sazaki countered.

"We'll be quiet. Besides, there's no other way, is there?"

Sazaki nodded, though not fully satisfied, he had conceded that this was indeed the only way.

"Hey wait up, I'll help you guys look too!" Allie offered.

Yune caught worry in Rafael's eyes, a look that said _"Please don't let that woman go anywhere near my axe." _

She smiled at his evident panic, and proceeded to allay his fears.

"Actually Allie, I don't think we should let Peony near the room, it might be too much for her to handle. If it's alright with you, could you stay here and look after her? Also, I need someone to make sure these two don't kill each other before we get back." She motioned to Sazaki and Rafael, eliciting a rather cross "Hey!" from the latter, whereas the swordsman merely rolled his eyes.

"Roger!" Allie grinned, playfully saluting Yune.

With that settled, Yune and Chloe turned to the only exit in the cave, a connecting pathway situated on the left of the cave. They treaded cautiously down the corridor, footsteps light, careful not to alert the masked man.

* * *

The path led them to what seemed to be a dead end, had there not been a slit of light positioned on the right. Extending her hand, Yune felt her fingers grasp wood. Having a small clue as to what lay in front of them, she tried in vain to push her hand through the tiny opening. However, her fingers were able to clasp onto the side of the wooden block, and another idea quickly formed in her mind.

"Chloe, there's something blocking our path here. I need you to help me pull it aside."

Yune soon saw another set of fingers below her own, and on the count of three, the pair pulled with all their might. It took quite a few tugs and a whole lot of effort, but eventually they managed to move the block far enough for them to fit through snugly.

Although the light wasn't particularly bright, the pair had been trapped in darkness for quite a while, and thus the sudden change in their environment caused them to squint.

When Yune could open her eyes wide enough to see, she recognized the room she was looking into.

A domed ceiling that was a good three metres above their heads, and a cave cluttered with miscellaneous objects. A cauldron in the middle, though the roaring fire from earlier was now completely extinguished. An earthy smell tinged with the scent of bitter herbs that had been faint earlier, now overwhelmed their senses.

The only thing that the cave was lacking, was it's owner the masked man. At first Yune had half-expected him to lunge out hiding, waving his knife at them like the lunatic he was, but he made no appearance.

Once she deemed it safe, she and Chloe emerged from the hole. The wooden block, had been a bookshelf. However, it seemed to contain more papyrus scrolls, with only a few paperbacks resting on the bottom shelf.

The room was still lit with a candle, though this one was nearing the end of it's life, and now only a stump of wax remained. Yune scanned the room for the missing weapons, and there they were, in a haphazard pile underneath the man's squat little table.

Sazaki's three swords, all sticking odd angles, were piled on top of Rafael's axe. There was a dagger too, which presumably belonged to Allie. Rafael's pocket watch was nowhere to be seen, then again the man had probably assumed that it wasn't a weapon that could help them escape, in which he had been only half correct.

While Yune picked up the various arms, Chloe observed at the various manuscripts that she had been taking a look at earlier. Though they were riddled with undecipherable symbols, without a doubt they were all part of Rizath's religion. There were a few paragraphs that looked like lists, perhaps the recipe for the vile green poison the masked man brewed.

She came across some illustrated diagrams clearly depicting various rituals, one of which was so horribly revolting, that Chloe feared she'd be emptying the contents of a stomach onto the table. She refused to dwell on the image any longer, and turned to help Yune carry the weapons.

Carrying Rafael's axe and the dagger, she realized that despite its look, the axe was almost weightless. It seemed the axe had only been made of seastone around the edges, and the rest of it was a lightweight metal. Chloe had wondered how in spite of his recent confession, Rafael had managed to wield an axe so easily. She decided to bring the candle with them, since she had a free hand.

Yune on the other hand, did not carry a deceptively light weapon, and nearly tripped once on the way back. The larger sword especially encumbered her movement, but seeing that it was only a short walk back, she declined Chloe's offer to help her carry one of the swords.

* * *

"Took you long enough." Rafael said through gritted teeth, the candlelight glinting off metal announcing the return of the pair.

"We are most apologetic for the wait, your excellency." Chloe quipped sardonically, before hurling his axe at him. It landed far from his head, and Rafael silently hoped that was only due to poor aim.

"What the hell woman?!" He yelled at her, though he was ignored, for Chloe was too busy handing Allie the dagger.

"Oh you really didn't need to get this silly old thing back for me, I couldn't use it to save my life." Allie giggled.

In the candlelight, Allie's full appearance was clear. She had dirty blonde hair, that had been pulled back into a ponytail, fully exposing her forehead. She had large dark brown eyes, fair skin, and lots of smudges on her face and arms. Allie wore a white sleeveless tank top which had a small heart design. Waist down she had baggy olive pants, which had small pockets in various places. On both arms, she had black wristbands.

Peony, who was shorter, had short curly black hair. She had a honeyed skin tone, and timid black eyes. Her floral dress was torn in places, and looked rather used. Whether the dress had gained its tattered appearance from the passage of time or from Peony's traumatic experience the past few days, she did not know.

Looking at the shy child, Chloe recalled the gruesome drawings she'd seen earlier, and a visible shudder ran through her spine. She didn't want to imagine what would've have happened had the crew not arrived on this island.

There was the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard, and Chloe turned to see Yune freeing the boys with Sazaki's katana. Once their bonds were cut, the pair stood and stretched, and Rafael reclaimed his weapon from where it had been lodged in the wood. Yune handed the swords to Sazaki, and at last, they could leave.

"Well then, what're we waiting for? Let's go~!"

Allie's optimism brought a smile to Chloe's face, and being the one holding the candle, she offered to lead the way. Rafael begrudgingly followed behind, and she could feel his heated glare on her back, though if anything, it made her chuckle.

Straight through the corridor, into the masked man's cave, in which Allie gently coaxed Peony to walk through. Chloe threw the scripts one last wary glance, before continuing. They exited through the corridor they had first came through, and at long last, arrived at the steps leading to the trapdoor.

Rafael moved to open the trapdoor, though he found it a much harder task to open it than before. It didn't budge an inch, no matter how many times he pushed against the door.

"Shit! The bastard locked us in!"

Sazaki shoved Rafael aside, and kicked the door. It hadn't been locked as Rafael had assumed, rather it had only been shut a lot tighter than earlier. The door flung open easily, and sunlight streamed into their faces.

Finally, _finally, _they were out.

When his eyes had adjusted, Sazaki turned back and looked at Rafael. The musician he realized the silvernette was giving him the beginnings of a smirk. He hissed, almost reminiscent of a cat, and would've further kept up the impression by clawing at the swordsman, had Allie not rushed past him and shouted loudly.

"WE'RE OUT!"

The blonde had thrown her hands out wildly, as if embracing the fresh air all around them. There was such an elated expression on her face, almost like a child at Christmas. Peony had stayed behind, watching Allie with a shy smile from a distance. She also seemed to have lost the fear of the strangers around her, for she held onto Yune's hand.

Any nice person would've let her bask in the moment, after all, she had been trapped in there far longer than the rest of them, sans Peony.

However, Rafael was anything but a pleasant fellow.

"How old are you? Three?"

"Twenty-four, actually." Allie beamed at him, oblivious to his irritation.

Rafael choked, making a spluttering sound in his surprise.

"I am utterly ashamed to be younger than you." He finally managed.

"Aw it's alright, you don't have to worry about me pulling rank because I'm older." She tried to comfort him in her clueless manner, and he groaned.

Chloe on the other hand, was staring worriedly at the setting sun. At first glance, it seemed to be exactly as when they had first arrived.

"Hey… when we came here, the sun was already sinking beneath the sea, wasn't it?"

Yune nodded.

"So why… why is the sun still above the horizon now?"

There was silence as the implied piece of information sunk in, even Allie detected the heavy atmosphere and kept quiet. Though what the tenseness was for exactly, she had no idea.

"Dammit, we were out for a whole day." Rafael cursed, with superficial understanding of the current situation. Chloe had come to a much graver revelation. Yune caught on, and she voiced Chloe's fear.

"In other words… tonight's a full moon."

At those last two words, Yune felt the tiny palm in her hand tighten, little fingers digging into her own hand.

**End of Chapter 11**

**(In case you were wondering, I mentioned back in chapter 8 that the next day would be a full moon. Ahahaha subtle foreshadowing well not really but anyway.)**

**Ah, I just love long weekends. It's Chinese New Year for me, so I get Monday and Tuesday off. And I finally managed to fit some time for writing into my schedule~ Though jfc, my term tests were just last week and god that was hell.**

**Well. I have to say, I have no idea when the next chapter will be, I can only hope it'll be soon. **

**Also, I'm not sure if you noticed, but I didn't name the chapter this time around. Well, I feel that naming it might just spoil the whole chapter each time, so I'm not going to name them anymore. Unless there are any violent objections from you guys, that is!**

**So uh,*laughs nervously* I'm really sorry for the long break this story took. But I made a promise to finish this story, so I will never, ever, abandon this. I love the characters, I love where the plot's going to go, so don't worry about whether I'm bored with this story. I'm just a really lazy procrastinating student, who really ought to manage my time better. But I can tell you all that this story will never be forgotten, (no seriously, it's always tugging at my guilty conscience.) **

**As a side note, I wonder if any of you find the characters overpowered for having powers without Devil Fruits. I planned Yune that way, but yeah, I hope you guys don't find it too sueish, and are able to suspend your disbelief.  
**

**Well till the next time, in the uncertain future!**

**-A.X.C333-**


End file.
